Fallout: New Vegas is a post-apocalyptic open world R.P.G. developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game takes place in the year 2281 near a retro-futuristic version of Las Vegas following the Great War between the United States and China that occurred some two hundred years prior. For a grand total of two hours on October 23, 2077 the earth was scorched in nuclear fire forever changing life on this planet as we once knew it. Presently, you're a courier tasked with delivering a package to New Vegas until you're suddenly intercepted by a gang led by a mysterious man who then shoots you in the head and leaves you for dead in a shallow grave AFTER relieving you of said package. Shortly thereafter, you're luckily found by a kindly robot named Victor who then takes you to a nearby settlement called Goodsprings where a doctor saves what's left of your life. After some much needed R & R the doctor, who was a former vault dweller, gives you a vault suit, a PipBoy 3000 and a weapon for protection and you begin your fantastic quest to find the man that shot you and retrieve that package..."They Went That-A-Way!". Along the journey you will encounter your fair share of hostile raiders, strange situations, terrifying irradiated creatures and a plethora of interesting people to interact with. I have to say that this game is just stuffed with so much content and sidequests that you will find it very difficult to stay the course and concentrate on completing the main story without veering off the beaten path from time to time...to time and time again. Wandering around the Nevada wasteland, as dangerous as it may sound, is just such a joy to do in this superb open-world title.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is definitely one of the shining jewels in this titles heavy crown. The combat in Fallout: New Vegas is a blend of a first and third person shooter for the most part. How you tackle combat in Fallout: New Vegas is completely up to you and the style of play that you enjoy the most. Your character could be guns blazing and shoot up everything in sight, you could also opt for the stealth playthrough and take down your enemies with sniper rifles and close quarter sneak attacks or be a melee fighter and go hands or blade to body with your enemies. The combat can be quite fun and very challenging depending on what mode or method you choose to play. Also let us not forget one of the staples of the Fallout series, the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System or V.A.T.S. which is always something great to see in action. V.A.T.S. is an active pause combat system implemented in the game that allows the player to select specific body parts to target during combat. Gameplay-wise, finding things to do and creatures or people to fight in the Nevada wasteland will not be a problem...just pick a direction and start walking.

VISUALS

Fallout: New Vegas operates off the same game engine as Fallout 3 did so other than running slightly better than it's predecessor both titles have a very similar look to them. Graphically, I really enjoyed this title when it first came out but as the years have passed it really began to show it's age and lack of visual fidelity in it's base form especially when compared to alot of today's games. However, with the fantastic community of superb modders available like with all Bethesda's outstanding open-world games, this is no longer a problem. With just a handful of graphical modifications your version of New Vegas will look absolutely beautiful in all it's High Definition glory. With that said, this is the type of open world game that you just want to spend hours walking or running around and exploring because it is gorgeous. Every settlement, every cave or ruin that you investigate all have a unique look to them. You definitely won't see any recycled environments in this game thank you very much Dragon Age II!

SOUND

The music is great and really captures the post apocalyptic and somewhat western theme of the title whether you're in a battle, exploring or in some type of dialogue with a denizen of the Nevada wasteland. Last but not least, the sound quality is also top notch and really immerses you within the gameplay.

CONCLUSION

If you're a fan of the Fallout series or just an open-world roleplaying game enthusiast then this is a title that your library cannot do without. This game is truly one of the best in the genre and definitely one of the greatest of all the Fallout titles available. There is an ample amount of very good DLC to play as well as a grueling hardcore mode for the immersion fans. Fallout: New Vegas is filled with lore from the previous Fallout titles which is a very nice addition for true superfans of the series. Also, what with the massive modding community available for Fallout: New Vegas, the replayability of this game is tremendous. This is a title that you can enjoy for months if not years to come much like I have so you will definitely get your moneys worth out of this purchase. Fallout: New Vegas is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!